In Brief

PROPOSAL – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan intends to float a “hybrid” African Union-UN force for Darfur in talks with Sudanese officials and invited major powers to take part, the United Nations said on Monday.

* DEAD – At least four Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in a fire fight in eastern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said as sporadic artillery duels raged elsewhere. * CONFLICT – Chad’s government declared a state of emergency covering much of the country after recent clashes between Arab and non-Arab communities killed hundreds of people in the east.* GOOD INTENTIONS – South Korea’s top nuclear envoy said North Korea should “verify” its willingness to scrap its nuclear programmes at a new round of six-party talks he expected would start next month.* ROUND TABLE – Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan took a fresh stab at peace talks under a cloud of allegations and denials over Islamabad’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.* MISSING – Four French climbers have gone missing while trying to scale an Himalayan mountain peak in central Nepal, a climbing group and the French Foreign Ministry said yesterday.The men had gone to climb the 5 896 metre Paldor peak north of the capital, Kathmandu, last month and were due to return on November 5, Binayak Shakya, a senior Nepal Mountaineering Association official told Reuters.* REFUSAL – Zambia’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition by two death row inmates who seek the abolition of capital punishment on the grounds that it is against “Christian values”.Nampa-AFP-AP-Reuters* CONFLICT – Chad’s government declared a state of emergency covering much of the country after recent clashes between Arab and non-Arab communities killed hundreds of people in the east.* GOOD INTENTIONS – South Korea’s top nuclear envoy said North Korea should “verify” its willingness to scrap its nuclear programmes at a new round of six-party talks he expected would start next month.* ROUND TABLE – Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan took a fresh stab at peace talks under a cloud of allegations and denials over Islamabad’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.* MISSING – Four French climbers have gone missing while trying to scale an Himalayan mountain peak in central Nepal, a climbing group and the French Foreign Ministry said yesterday.The men had gone to climb the 5 896 metre Paldor peak north of the capital, Kathmandu, last month and were due to return on November 5, Binayak Shakya, a senior Nepal Mountaineering Association official told Reuters.* REFUSAL – Zambia’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition by two death row inmates who seek the abolition of capital punishment on the grounds that it is against “Christian values”.Nampa-AFP-AP-Reuters